By Samantha Morris ’21
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“Self Portrait” by Kayeln Bower ’19
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Phrenology” by Haley Levin ’20
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“The Hills Have Eyes” by Berry Nakash ’20
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“Self Portrait-The Politics of hair” by Skylar Graham ’20
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Scholastic Art and Writing Awards were recently presented to many Wolverine students. The competition was hosted by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, a non-profit organization that aims to celebrate creative students in grades seven through 12. This year, 330,000 pieces of writing and art were judged in the contest, which accepts submissions in 29 different categories. In total, 119 students from the school won either gold keys, silver keys or honorable mentions at the regional level of this competition. Specifically, 103 students received awards for their art or portfolios, while 16 were celebrated for their writing.
“I like the fact that Harvard-Westlake offers us the opportunity to participate in these kinds of competitions. It was really nice to see my friends and me recognized for our hard work,” Giulia Germano ’20 said.
Students who earned gold keys progressed into the national rounds of the competition. Fourteen of these students earned awards at the nationwide level, their various pieces categorized as either writing portfolios, personal essay and memoirs, critical essays, photography or paintings. Four of these students, Kaelyn Bowers ’19, Skylar Graham ’20, Haley Levin ’20 and Berry Nakash ’20, earned gold medals in their divisions. Nakash, Bowers and Levin earned gold medals for their paintings, entitled “The Hills Have Eyes,” “Self Portrait” and “Phrenology,” respectively. Graham’s photograph, “Self Portrait _ The Politics Of Hair,” earned not only a gold medal, but also a best-in-grade award. The National Ceremony celebrating the winning artwork is scheduled for June 8 at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Members of the Visual Arts Department have said that they are proud to acknowledge the hard work and success of these students, and have also spoken about the value of becoming involved in this competition.
“We participate because it’s good to get the students out of the framework of our specific environment, see the greater world and see that they can be contenders on a bigger stage than just the school,” Visual Arts Department Head Katherine Palmer ’98 said.
